Ash's Pokemon Journey with Tory
by imerik001
Summary: AU story. Tory and his father move from Hoenn to Kanto and meet new next door neighbors Ash and Delia Ketchum. After spending quality time, Ash and Tory become the best of friends. On their 10th birthday, they go on a Pokemon journey to compete for the Indigo League. While on their journey, both Ash and Tory develop romantic feelings for each. Ash K. x Tory L. Pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters**

 **A/N: My very first Pokemon fanfic with an Ash K./Tory L. pairing. I always thought it was weird that there weren't that many Pokemon fanfics with them as a couple pairing.**

 **Reviews and comments will be appreciated**

 **Chapter 1: Welcome to Pallet Town**

"So Dad, what is the Kanto Region like?" A young boy asked, as he and his father were riding in a moving truck from the Hoenn Region.

"Well Tory, the Kanto Region is a rather beautiful and peaceful place. It's not that really different than Hoenn, except for the cities, towns and Pokemon that can be found." The boy's father, Professor Charles Lund answered, while smiling softly down at his boy, whom was seated on his left.

Prof. Lund was in his late 40's to early 50's, Caucasian with Beau bluish hair, eye brows and cerulean blue eyes. He wore a plain white turtleneck long sleeve t-shirt underneath a grayish black buttoned business jacket, coal grey jeans and black shoes with a coal gray underside. He was a well respected Pokemon Professor from the Hoenn Region and had been offered a position to work alongside Professor Samuel Oak at his laboratory in Pallet Town and as a part time teacher at the Pokemon Technical Institution.

His son Tory, was nine years old, with the same features as his father: Caucasian, Beau bluish hair, eye brows and cerulean blue eyes. He wore a teal green V-neck t-shirt, tan brown drawstring long length shorts reach down to his knees and white/blue/gray sneakers.

Tory didn't mind the move from Hoenn to Kanto, as he was thrilled for his father being offered to work alongside the world famous Pokemon researcher and lecturer, Prof. Oak. As well as being hired as a teacher at the PokeTech Institute, as his father was a part time teacher at the Pokemon's Training School back in Rustboro City. The only sad truth was...Tory really didn't have that many friends back in Hoenn, due to be incredibly shy...and he kept a secret that his father never knew about. After his mother died, it was only him and his father...and Tory loved his dad a lot...but he couldn't help but fear his dad's reaction if he ever found out his secret.

"Excuse me driver, how long until we reach Pallet Town?" Prof. Lund politely asked the driver of the moving truck, as Tory was starting to drift in and out of consciousness due to lack of sleep.

Both Professor Lund and his son had left Hoenn at 8 pm in the afternoon after helping the moving crew pack up their furniture and personal belongings in the moving trucks at 5:30 pm. They had managed to catch their boat at Slateport City at 7:30 pm before the ship had started casting off, while the moving trucks took a private boat to the Kanto Region. Tory and his father had managed to sleep for seven hours and thirty minutes, as the captain of the boat announced that they had arrived in Kanto at 3:30 am. The boat had docked at Vermilion City at 3:50 am where the truck driver holding their furniture had waited to pick them up.

"We'll be at Pallet Town in an hour 20-10 minutes Mr. Lund." The driver answered professionally, as they had left the Vermilion City dock ten minutes ago and been driving for half an hour, with the time being 4:30 am.

Prof. Lund had glanced down at his left and saw that Tory had drifted off to sleep and couldn't truly blame him, as he hadn't slept that much since they had let Hoenn. He had held his son close as they continued to drive for another fifteen minutes. Both he and Tory had groaned as the road started to get bumpy, but returned to becoming smooth like again. They had drove for another five minutes, until the driver stated with a soft chuckle.

"That it is Mr. Lund...Pallet Town." The driver stated as he spotted the roadside banner which pointed out the main road in and out of the small town.

"Tory. Tory, wake up kiddo." Prof. Lund stated as he gently coaxed his boy awake.

"Hmm, what is it Dad?" Tory asked as he sleepily opened his eyelids, showing he was still drowsy from all their traveling and wanted to sleep a little bit longer.

"We're here in Pallet Town. We're about to see our new house." His father answered softly, as the driver continued driving down the road and that was enough to wake his sleepy son.

"'We're really here in Pallet Town?" Tory asked in an excited tone, showing he was happy that they were about to see their new house and home!

Just as the night sky started to brighten up as the sun was about to rise, both Tory and his father had spotted their new home, which was a bungalow type house. They had also spotted the other two moving trucks, already there waiting for them parked alongside the main road.

"Would you like my men to start unloading and putting the furniture in the house Mr. Lund?" The driver, whom was also the main contractor asked as he parked the truck at a legal safe distance for them to exit.

"Yes, that would be very nice." Prof. Lund answered as he and Tory had opened the passenger side door and stepped out of the truck, while stretching their arms and legs from being cooped up in the cab of the truck.

"Alright boys, start unloading the trucks. Move the furniture in the house, pronto." The truck driver stated, as he reached for his walkie-talkie clipped to the left side of his belt.

"Roger that boss." One of the haulers answered as he and the rest of the moving crew reached for a peculiar object; a red and white round ball like device with a white button out front in the center, which both Tory and his father identified as Poké Balls.

The haulers had tossed their own Poké Ball and a white beam of energy shot out, which materialized and revealed the Kanto native Fighting-type Pokemon, Machoke. The six Machoke immediately helped the haulers moving every piece of furniture from the back of the trucks into the house. While the moving team and their Machoke were setting the furniture, Tory and his father had entered their new house and they couldn't help but smile and admire the conditioning of the house, as it had been well cared for and was thoroughly clean.

Both Tory and his father knew they would like it here in Pallet Town and that they would have a bright future ahead of them.

 **A/N: Here is the ending to the 1st chapter. I apologize if it seems a little short or lacking enough detail, I simply ran out of material and did the best with what I could think of. The 2nd chapter where Tory and his father first meet Ash and Delia will be posted real soon. Until next time, bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimers: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters**

 **A/N: Hello everyone, here is the 2nd chapter when Ash and his mother meet Prof. Lund and Tory. Tory will also meet Gary and Leaf, but will mostly spend most of his time with Ash and they form a close friendship.**

 **I should also state, that Ash will be more mature and smart in this fanfic. He won't be that entirely clueless when it comes to Pokemon, traveling, other people and more importantly...thickheaded when it comes to love. Plus, Tory will not be afraid of Pokemon in this fanfic. The Walrein and Sealeo stampede that traumatized him in Destiny Deoxys never happened in this story.**

 **Please be sure to review and comment.**

 **Chapter 2: New Neighbors and New Friends.**

"Ash! Time to wake up, sleepyhead!" A female voice called out, as she knocked softly on the locked door to her son's bedroom.

"Ugh, Mom. Five more minutes, please?" A young boy called out, groaning as he wished to sleep a little bit longer while still under the sheets of his bed.

"Alright honey. I'll be having breakfast ready, but we need to talk when you get dressed. Okay?" His mother, Delia Ketchum stated before she walked down the stairs and stepped into the kitchen.

"Alright Mom, thanks." Ash replied, as he had heard his mother walk away from his locked bedroom door and he had closed his eyes, as he was still groggy from sleepiness and closed his eyes.

After the five minutes had passed by, Ash was more awake and climbed out of his bed. He had slipped on a yellow cream t-shirt with an orange zigzag pattern running at a vertical angle across the front side of the shirt, as he had slept in his bed shirtless. He had gone to bed wearing blue fabric cargo shorts with tassels tied into a knot so they wouldn't fall down. The last piece of clothing he had put on was his most prized possession...an official Pokemon League Expo hat. It was colored red and white, just like a standard Poke Ball with a stylized green L in the center of the front side of the hat.

Most of the other town's children had jokingly teased Ash for being so attached to his hat, but he had learned to ignore them. The main reason why he was so possessive over the hat, was because Ash had won it from the Pokemon League annual free sweepstakes contest. The contest was rather simple...who ever had mailed the most postcards would win an official Pokemon League hat. After watching so many commercials on TV, Ash was determined to win a hat and after sending over a million postcards...he had obtained his prize. The only two people who understood how important the hat was to him, were his mother and Prof. Oak, whom had been like a parental father figure to him.

After putting on his hat, Ash had slipped on a pair of black leather strap-on sandals that he fetched from his bedroom closet and walked out of his room. He had walked down the staircase downstairs past the living room and straight into the dining room in the kitchen where his mother was cooking breakfast. Delia was cooking four bacon strips on a fry pan on the stove with three eggs yolks stirred thoroughly in a lime green ceramic bowl. There was a second smaller frying pan cooking two hash brown patties also on the stove.

"Hmm, eggs, bacon and hash browns. Sure looks delicious Mom." Ash stated as he licked his lips after seeing what his mom had cooked for breakfast.

"Why thank you honey." Delia stated as she turned and smiled, after seeing her only son completely awake and dressed.

"Say Mom, what do you have cooking in the oven?" He asked after noticing the oven light on and heat temperature at 375 degrees.

"Oh, that's the blueberry pie I put in there. I almost forgot to check on it!" Delia exclaimed, as she bent down and opened the oven door, seeing that the blueberry pie she put in wasn't burnt!

"What's the occasion?" Ash asked, since he knew his mom all too well: she would only bake a pie if someone new was moving into Pallet Town or holiday dinner.

"New neighbors moved in five houses down across the street. They arrived just this morning." His mom answered, explaining why she had put the pie in the oven to bake.

"New neighbors? That's great! When do we meet them?" The raven haired boy asked in an excited tone after learning a new family had moved in across from them!

"We'll go meet them in half an hour, after you've finished eating breakfast and the pie is ready." Delia answered while smiling at how psyched her son was after learning that new people were moving into the neighborhood.

After making sure the four slices of bacon were cooked thoroughly, Delia had poured the mixed egg yolk into the pan and stirred the eggs with a black plastic spoon. While the eggs and bacon were cooking, she had flipped the hash browns over as they were cooked thoroughly on one side. As his mother was cooking for him, Ash had opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a full gallon of grape juice. Once the eggs were cooked all the way, Delia had placed the egg bacon omelet on a wide round ceramic plate and onto the breakfast. Ash had poured himself a glass of grape juice in a cup, sat down behind the table and began to enjoy his breakfast.

While her son was eating the food she had cooked him, Delia had sat down and sipped a cup of lemon flavored herbal tea that she had made for herself, while waiting for the pie to be cooked. After eight minutes had passed, Ash had finished eating his breakfast and placed his empty plate and cup in the sink.

"Breakfast was delicious Mom." Ash complimented as he placed a soft kiss on his mother's cheek.

"Your welcome sweetie. The pie should be ready in another 5 minutes." Delia stated as she was glad that her son enjoyed the meal she had made for him and how long it for the pie to be ready.

"Alright, I'll go brush my teeth and be right back." The raven haired boy stated, saying he'd be brushing his teeth before they'd leave to meet the new neighbors.

"Alright, we'll leave right after you come back from the restroom." Delia answered as she was glad her boy was keeping up with his dental hygiene before he exited the kitchen and went back upstairs.

As soon as Ash had stepped inside the bathroom, he closed and locked the door behind him. He had turned the faucets to the hot and cold water on, so it would be warm. He grabbed his toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste and squeezed it so a small amount would be on the toothbrush. He had thoroughly brushed his teeth, rinsed and flossed before turning the faucets off and stepping out of the bathroom. Ash had gone back downstairs and into the living room, as he saw his mother opening the oven and pulling the blueberry pie off the cooking rack.

"Mom, is the pie ready?" Ash asked from the living room as he he sat down on the sofa and waited patiently for therm to step outside.

"Yep, its ready. Ready to meet our new neighbors Ash?" His mother stated after sniffing the pie and sighing in bliss, knowing by instinct that it was indeed ready.

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are Mom." The raven haired boy answered while relaxing on the couch and smiling after seeing his mother placing the freshly baked pie on the counter.

"I'm ready honey. Just put your shoes on and we'll get going." Delia stated, wanting to let the pie cool down first and her boy to put his sneakers on as his crocks weren't meant for outside use, just inside the house.

After taking off his sandals and putting on a pair of red/black outdoor sneakers, Ash was ready to get going. He and his mom had stepped outside of their house with Delia holding the pie in her bare hands. Since the pie had cooled down, it was safe for her to touch and carry it without gloves. Once they stepped outside, the two of them crossed the dirt road and walked five houses down. Once they approached the Lund's newly bought house, both Delia and Ash were surprised after seeing the Machoke the moving crew were using to move the furniture from the vans in the house.

"Excuse me miss, is there something you or your boy need?" The head contractor asked after noticing the two of them approaching.

"Oh, we don't mean to interrupt you or your men working sir. My son and I are stopping by to meet the new neighbors moving in." Delia stated while apologizing if she and Ash were getting in the way of their work.

"Well, that's very kind of you miss. Mr. Lund and his boy are in the living room." The head contractor stated with a kind smile after hearing that both Delia and Ash simply wished to welcome the Lunds into the neighborhood.

"Thank you very much Mr...uh, Harris." The young brunette woman stated after reading the contractor's name tag on the side of his work vest: Harris

While his mother was busy talking with Mr. Harris, Ash couldn't help but admire how strong the Machoke were and looked like in the flesh for the first time. He had never seen an actually Fighting type before in his life...and now he was seeing six of the Superpower Pokemon. Delia would softly nudge her boy back into reality, after noticing how amazed he was after seeing the moving crew's Machoke right at work. After coming back to his senses, Ash and his mom had stepped through through the currently opened front door.

"Hello?" Delia asked softly as she and Ash entered the house while making sure they weren't in the moving crew or their Machoke's way while they continued working.

Fortunately for both Ash and his mother, they didn't have to look too hard or wait long. Prof. Lund was advising the movers on where to place the furniture; the cabinets, coffee table and cabinet for the TV while Tory was leaning against the back wall, reading a book about basic Pokemon traveling tips.

"Yes, how may I help you miss?" Prof. Lund asked as he had noticed Delia call out after she and her boy enter the house.

"I apologize if my son and I are intruding. We live five houses down across the street and noticed the moving trucks outside. We just came over to welcome you both to Pallet Town." Delia stated while explaining that she and Ash lived right across the street from them and wanted to welcome them to the small town.

"Well, that's very nice of you Mrs...?" Charles stated with a kind smile, along with Tory as they appreciated their new neighbor's hospitality for welcoming them to both Kanto and Pallet Town.

"Ketchum. Delia Ketchum and this is my son, Ash." The young brunette woman answered, while introducing herself and her boy.

"Nice to meet you and Ash, Delia. I'm Prof. Charles Lund and this is my son, Tory." He replied while introducing himself and his son, while offering a hand to shake which she gladly accepted.

"Nice to meet you Ash." Tory stated while shyly offering a hand to shake, which the raven haired boy gladly shook with his own.

"It's nice too meet you as well Tory." Ash replied while shaking hands with the blue haired boy...while noticing the faint blush on his face.

'Huh, he's cute.' The raven haired boy mentally stated, while shaking Tory's hand and thinking that he looked rather adorable.

'Wait...what? Why would I even think that?' He asked himself after realizing what he thought of the other boy just now after meeting him and knowing his name!

"So, uh Tory...where are you and your dad from?" Ash asked after they released each others hands and finished shaking each other's hands.

"We're from the Hoenn Region." The blue haired boy answered, which surprised both Ash and his mom greatly.

"You're both from Hoenn? What bring's you and Tory here to Kanto?" Delia asked after she and her boy learned where Charles and Tory were originally from!

"Work. I have a job interview with both Prof. Oak and the PokeTech Institute." Charles answered truthfully, as he knew there was no point in lying to either Delia or Ash.

"So...you're a Pokemon researcher from Hoenn?" The raven haired boy asked after learning that Tory's father had an interview with Prof. Oak at his lab and one of the most expensive schools in Kanto, where only wealthy individuals could attend.

"Yes and I'm also a part time teacher. I used to work at the Pokemon's Training School in Rustboro City." Prof. Lund answered while revealing that he also worked as a part time teacher.

"What subject did you teach?" Ash asked, as he was intrigued after learning that Mr. Lund was both a Pokemon researcher and part time teacher!

"My dad taught a class in type advantages and disadvantages. Basically how Fire types are strong against Grass and Bug types and how Poison type moves don't work on Steel types." Tory answered truthfully for his father, which earned a 'wowed' expression from the raven haired boy after hearing kind of subject his dad taught.

"Do you or Ash know where I can find Prof. Oak's laboratory by any chance Delia?" Charles asked, as he was rather eager to meet the well respected researcher and lecturer face to face for the first time.

"I can take you there Mr. Lund!" Ash stated excitedly as his face lit up after hearing him ask the location for the professor's lab!

Both Charles and Tory were surprised by how excited Mrs. Ketchum's son had became, which earned a chuckle from his mother.

"Ash practically spends most of his time at Prof. Oak's ranch every day." Delia explained while smiling softly down at her son's enthusiasm.

"Well, we'd appreciate your offer in being our guide for today Ash." Charles stated, as he was more than happy to letting the raven haired boy show him and Tory the way to Prof. Oak's lab with his boy nodding in agreement.

"I can take you and Tory to the lab whenever you're both ready Mr. Lund." Ash stated, showing he would be than happy to show both Tory and his father the way to Prof. Oak's lab and ranch whenever they were ready.

"Could you take us to the lab right now Ash?" Tory asked softly, which earned him a soft and warm grin from the raven haired boy...and blushed softly at the smile.

"Sure." He answered sincerely...and noticed the small blush on the blue haired boy's face which earned a soft chuckle at the sight.

"Well Delia, it was truly an honor to meet you and thank you so much for the pie. I'll be sure not to keep Ash too long and bring him home before it gets too dark." Charles stated warmly while shaking hands with the young brunette woman, showing he appreciated her and Ash welcoming him and Tory to Pallet Town and being their new neighbors/friends.

"It was very nice to meet you and Tory as well Charles. I hope your interview with Prof. Oak goes well." Delia stated while shaking his hand, showing she indeed hoped his interview with Samuel went well and knew he would get the job...as Prof. Oak had a reputation for being rather picky with whom he hired, but was a fair and sincere man.

After they finished shaking hands, Ash had led Tory and his father out of their house and up the dirt path that led across a bridge over a stream and an uphill stone staircase to a large sized magenta/peach colored arch designed building with a towering windmill behind the rear. Both Tory and his father's eyes widened at the sight of the lab with their very own eyes and kept their excitement levels in check as they walked uphill on the stone steps.

"So Ash, you mom says you come here everyday?" Tory asked while they strolled up the steps, while remembering how Delia mention how he spent most of his time at the lab and ranch.

"Yeah, my mom knows that I want to become a Pokemon trainer on my 10th birthday...just like my dad when he was around my age. So I started attending the Professor's Pokemon summer school along with a few other kids, paid close attention and studied hard...along with reading plenty of books about type advantages/disadvantages, habitats and how to treat them when they are sick." Ash answered, revealing how he was going on a Pokemon journey on his 10th birthday and how he'd studied thoroughly on the subject, which impressed Charles deeply on how prepared he was for the day he would go on his Pokemon trainer journey.

Tory on the other hand, was more than just impressed with how prepared Ash was being for his upcoming journey as a Pokemon trainer when he turned ten...he practically found a new role model. After listening in on how the raven haired boy was going on a journey next year on his 10th birthday..the beau blue haired boy had entertained the idea of going with him...as he would be turning 10 one year from now just like Ash.

"I just hope **_he_** won't be there." The raven haired boy stated softly, but was still loud enough to be heard by Tory and his father.

"You hope who won't be there at Prof. Oak's lab?" Tory asked confused, as he and his dad heard the cold and angry tone in Ash's voice as they neared the front door to the lab.

"Prof. Oak has a grandson...Gary." Ash answered softly, while sighing as he wanted to avoid this subject and conversation...but couldn't as he opened the door.

"You two don't like each other?" Charles asked, as he could tell there was story to why Ash and Professor Oak's grandson were at odds with each other.

"We didn't always start our disliking each other...we were childhood best friends, along with another neighbor of ours, Leaf." The raven hair boy answered softly, explaining that he and Gary were actually the best of friends, along with girl in their neighborhood.

"So...what happened? What changed?" Tory asked as he didn't understand what made both Ash and Gary turn from being the best of friends into disliking each other.

"Well it wasn't me or Leaf, but when the three of us started watching the matches at the Kanto Pokemon League at the Indigo Plateau on TV...Gary became hooked and obsessed with the idea of 'becoming the best Pokemon Trainer in the world.' He started acting like a total jerk, talking to me and Leaf like we weren't 'cut out' to being Pokemon trainers or up to his 'standards'." Ash answered, explaining how Gary became disillusioned with a sad dream of wanting to be the very best and how he started treating him and Leaf like they were no longer his friends.

Both Tory and his father were stunned to hear what kind of jerk Prof. Oak's grandson had become. They could only imagine what kind on nice boy Gary must've been before he let some sad and messed up dream of fame and fortune turn him into the kind of person he was today.

"What about you and this girl, Leaf?" The beau blue haired boy asked, as he was wondering if she was still a kind and nice person.

"We're still friends, we bump into each and hang out at either mine or her house from time to time." The raven hair boy answered, stating that he and Leaf had still remained friends and spent time together.

The three of them had approached the front door to the lab and Ash had knocked softly on the hard light red painted wooden door. Charles had taken in a few deep breathes, showing he was slightly nervous about meeting Prof. Oak face to face for the first time and attempted to calm himself down.

"Dad, are you alright?" Tory asked, as he was concerned as he noticed his father taking in deep breathes to relax himself!

"I'm alright Tory, just a little nervous. This will be the first time Prof. Oak and I meet each other in person." Charles answered, assuring his son that he was alright and straightening himself up before the doorknob started to turn.

The person answering and opening the door was middle aged man, somewhere in his mid-to late 50's with tan skin, gray hair, brown eye brows and black eye. He wore a large size lab coat over a red shirt with the collar folded, light brown slack jeans with a dark brown belt buckled around his waist and dark brown casual shoes.

"Ash, my boy! Welcome." Prof. Oak stated with a warm smile after seeing the young raven hair boy standing outside his laboratory and ranch.

"Hello Professor. It's nice to see you today too." Ash answered respectively, as he and the elderly man shook hands firmly with Tory and his father staying silent at the mere sight of the Pokemon professor.

"Who are these with you?" Prof. Oak asked as he had acknowledged both Charles and Tory standing a few feet behind Ash.

"These are new neighbors moving into Pallet Town from Hoenn. This is Tory and his father, Mr. Lund." The raven hair boy answered, while introducing the well respected professor to Charles and his son.

"Wait, Lund...as in...Prof. Lund?" Prof. Oak asked as he immediately recognized the last name and glanced at Charles, indicating he had heard of him!

"Professor Oak, it is truly an honor to meet you in person. I'm Prof. Charles Lund, a Pokemon teacher and lecturer from Hoenn." The beau blue haired man stated, while offering a hand to shake which the gray haired professor kindly accepted and shook firmly.

"It is also an honor to meet Prof. Lund. I had seen your lecture on the type advantages and disadvantages against Poison type Pokemon and Steel type Pokemon last month. I thought it was rather fascinating, as no one was familiar with those facts before." Prof. Oak stated while complimenting Charles reputation as a lecturer, while bringing up a topic he spoke about on television over a month ago.

"You are too modest for a Pokemon researcher and lecturer yourself Prof. Oak." Charles answered, while flattered that he was impressed with his televised lecture about the advantages and disadvantages between Steel and Poison types.

Both Ash and Tory had remained quiet, while smirking and crossing their arms as they witnessed both professors already treating the other as long time acquaintances and colleagues. Tory could already tell that his father had nothing to worry about, as he was sure enough to be hired as Prof. Oak's new aide.

"Prof. Oak...would it be alright if I should Tory the Pokemon you have around your ranch?" The raven haired boy asked, since he could tell that he and Charles had a lot to talk about.

"Well there'd be no harm in that, but only as long as Charles says its alright." Prof. Oak answered showing he had no problem with letting the two boys having fun outside on his ranch, but only if Tory's father was alright with it.

"Dad, can I please go with Ash to see the Pokemon outside?" Tory asked, as he knew Ash was trying to keep them both preoccupied while his dad and Prof. Oak talked more and also so they could get to know each other a bit more.

"Alright son, but you and Ash better stay close and somewhere either Prof. Oak or I can see you boys." Charles stated, showing he would allow them to spend time outside only if they agreed not to stray too far outside.

"We'll stay close. We promise." Both boys said together, which surprised them both as they looked at each other and earned a soft chuckle from the two professors.

"Say Professor...would it be alright if Tory and I went on a ride on Ruby?" Ash asked, which caught both the gray haired man and beau blue haired boy by surprise!

"Of course Ash, I'll have Kenneth set up a double seated saddle for you boys." Prof. Oak answered with a warm smile, since he he knew that Ruby took an instant liking to the raven hair boy when he fed her a handful of hay from inside the stable the last time he stopped by the lab.

"Cool, thanks Prof. Oak." He answered, showing he appreciated the professor allowing him and Tory riding on 'Ruby' before he led the beau blue haired boy outside.

"Um, Ruby?" Tory finally asked as he was caught completely off guard by his friend asking Prof. Oak if they could go on a horse ride, since he mentioned having one on his aides prepare a two seated saddle for them.

"Tory, trust me. You're gonna like this." Ash stated with a soft smile and it earned him a soft grin from his new friend, whom nodded showing he trusted him.

Once they stepped outside of the lab, Tory's eyes widen in complete shock at what he and the raven hair boy saw before them: small separated groups or herds of multiple Pokemon species! The ranch had an open field filled with small herds of Rattata and Raticate to the right, a small pack of four Growlithe in the center, a herd of Paras and Parasect in the field in front of the Growlithe, a small group of Oddish and Gloom near the Puppy Pokemon and a herd of male and female Nidoran. In the trees near the fences, were a group of four Mankey and a single Primeape hanging and sitting on the branches. Along with the Paras and Parasect, there was also a small group of Exeggcute. On a large ledge overlooking the field with the Grass/Bug and Grass/Psychic types were a small herd of two Rhyhorn, a single Rhydon and two Onix.

"Its very breath taking, isn't it?" Ash asked with a warm smile, as he noticed how speechless and quiet Tory had become after seeing how many Pokemon Prof. Oak had on his ranch!

"All...these Pokemon...are **all** the Professor's?" Tory asked as he finally found his voice again after recovering from the initial shock.

"Yeah, all these Pokemon belong to my grandfather." Another male voice answered...and Ash visibly flinched as he and Tory turned to their right, and the raven hair boy glared softly at who had just shown up.

The voice belong to a boy that was the same age as them, nine years old, Caucasian with spiky Mohawk style mahogany hair and dark viridian eyes. He wore a light blue t-shirt with orange linings around the neck collar and arms, stone gray cargo shorts and black/blue sneaks.

"Hiya Ashy-Boy." The spiky haired brunette stated with a smug sneer on his face as he acknowledging the raven haired boy.

"Gary." Ash stated plain and dryly, showing he wasn't exactly happy about seeing Prof. Oak's grandson arriving...but decided to play it out, especially since Gary had every right to be at has grandpa's lab and ranch: just like him and Tory.

"Come to ask Gramps for advice on how to become a Pokemon Trainer? Don't bother, because the one who'll become the world's greatest Trainer is going to be me." Gary stated, immediately acting like a jerk and bringing up his pathetic dream for fame.

"Don't you have anything better to do than act like a total snob and bragging on how 'cool' you are?" The raven hair boy asked, showing he was sick and tired of putting up with his selfish dream for fame and fortune.

"Acting like a jerk already Gary?" A female voice suddenly asked and the three boys had glanced to see that a girl had also just showed up.

The girl was the same age as Ash, Tory and Gary; nine years old, Caucasian with long brown hair, reaching down her shoulders and upper back and brown eyes. She wore a white plain t-shirt with three purple stars decorated with silver sparkles on the front, black/blue jogging shorts, white socks and black/white/pink running sneakers.

"Hey Ash." The brunette girl greeted with a warm smile, which he gladly returned.

"Hi Leaf." Ash greeted back, with Tory standing right behind him as he had stayed quiet when Gary had shown up.

"Who's this with you?" Leaf asked, as she noticed the beau blue haired boy standing right behind him.

"This is my new friend, Tory Lund. He and his father just moved into the neighborhood today." The raven hair boy answered, while introducing the other boy to the brunette.

"It's nice to meet you Tory. I'm Leaf." The brunette girl stated with a kind smile as she offered him a hand to shake, which he slowly but gladly accepted.

"It's nice to meet you as well Leaf." Tory stated as he and the brunette shook hands, and noticed that Gary simply rolled his eyed and began to walk away.

"You're not even going to bother to talk to Tory?" Ash demanded, showing he was angered by what a jerk Gary was acting as he wasn't even going to bother to get to know their new neighbor!

"...Name's Gary. Welcome to the neighborhood, later." The spiky haired brunette stated coldly after giving off a sigh, showing he wanted the raven haired boy to get off his back!

Both Ash and Leaf glared daggers at Gary, as he continued to walk away and even Tory couldn't help but glare at the brunette as he was out of sight and leaving the ranch.

"You guys were actually friends with that jerk?" The beau blue haired asked, as he quickly understood by what Ash was saying after seeing first hand what a prick Gary had became.

"He wasn't always like that Tory." Leaf stated with a frown on her face, showing she was saddened by what made the boy who was once her and Ash's best friend into the person he was now.

"Would you still like to meet Ruby?" Ash asked softly, showing he wanted to forget that Gary was ever here and to cheer Tory up for how the brunette had just treated him.

"Sure, I'd like to meet Ruby." Tory stated, showing he indeed would like to meet this 'Ruby' and smiled softly at Ash, showing he appreciated him trying to cheer him up after how Gary coldly blew him off.

"Mind if I come with you guys?" Leaf asked, as she knew as she had witnessed Ash ride on Ruby before and even rode on her with him the last few times they had came to visit the ranch.

"Sure." Both Ash and Tory answered simultaneously and Leaf giggled at how they answered together at the same time.

The three of them had walked on over to the stable where Prof. Oak kept an extraordinary Fire type Pokemon; a stable filled with six horse like creatures with a mainly cream body. The horses had yellow and reddish-orange flames forming a fiery mane and tail and gray hooves at the end of their legs. The one difference between the two horses was that the bigger ones had a single horn growing extended from their foreheads and flames streaming from their fetlocks. Tory stared awestruck from seeing what it was Ash asked Prof. Oak if they could on together!

"Ever seen a Ponyta and Rapidash before Tory?" Leaf asked, as she and Ash chuckled softly at seeing how speechless and awestruck the blue haired boy had become.

"No...never." Tory answered as he finally found his voice and couldn't but admire how beautiful and graceful the Rapadish and Ponyta looked like before his own eyes.

"Why hello Ash, Leaf." An adult male voice called out and the three friends turned around to see one of Prof. Oak's current research aides approaching them with a two seated horse saddle in his arms.

"Hi Kenneth." Both the raven haired boy and brunette girl answered, showing they were glad to see him as he befriended them since the first day they had came by the lab and ranch.

"You must be Tory, Professor Lund's boy." Kenneth stated as he acknowledged the other boy with a warm smile and he returned the smile.

"It's nice to meet you as well Kenneth." Tory answered back with a warm and kind smile, while shaking hands with the aide as Leaf and Ash watched.

"Prof. Oak already told me that you and Ash requested to ride on Ruby. This'll only take a moment." Kenneth stated, having already been told by the Professor to have the saddle mounted on Ruby for both boys to ride.

After stepping towards the Ponyta and Rapidash, the aide had made a soft 'tsk tsk' sound while gesturing for the Ponyta in the center to approach. The Fire Horse Pokemon had glanced to its left, at a Rapidash that was presumably its mother and after a soft nudge from her mother, the Ponyta, Ruby had slowly and steadily walked up towards the research aide. Kenneth had then proceeded to place the saddle on the center of her back, while making sure it didn't make the Fire type horse uncomfortable or injure her front and hind legs. After buckling and securing the straps to the saddle, Ruby was all set to ride.

"Alright boys, who wants to get on first?" Kenneth asked while gesturing for Ruby to kneel down for Ash and Tory to climb on and the Fire Horse Pokemon complied by kneeling down on all four of its legs.

"I'll go first." Ash stated, volunteering to climb up first so he could help Tory climb on after him.

He had slowly brought his right hand up and gently brush his fingers up against the left side of Ruby's face. The Ponyta neighed softly as she felt the raven haired boy rub his hand against its face and Tory couldn't help but smile at what a natural Ash was when it came to Pokemon. Kenneth and Leaf smiled softly as they saw how fond Ruby had become of Ash, as they remembered how nervous the raven hair boy was of the Fire Horse Pokemon before, but quickly overcame his doubts and slowly built a friendship with Ruby; offering to bath and feed her which earned the Fire type's trust and respect. The raven hair boy had placed left foot in the stirrup while climbing over Ruby's back and placing his right foot in the other foot rest.

"You're up next Tory." Ash stated softly, while gently gesturing for his friend to join him up on the back of the Fire Horse Pokemon.

"Um...o-okay." The blue haired boy answered a little hesitantly, nervous about climbing up and riding on a Ponyta for the first time in his life.

Tory had slowly approached Ruby and began to place his place his left foot in the stirrup, but had trouble climbing over the horse's back. Fortunately for him, Ash had offer him a hand to help climb up which he gladly accepted, threw his leg over after sitting right behind his friend and placing his right foot in the stirrup.

Kenneth had guided Ruby out of the stable and released his hold on the lead rope, allowing the Fire Horse Pokemon to start galloping. Tory was startled as Ruby had started out walking out slow and steady into a fast run!

"Tory, hold on to me." Ash stated, as he could tell that the beau blue haired boy didn't expect for the horse to move that fast and was about to fall off!

Without giving it a second thought, Tory did as his friend and wrapped his arms around his waist. The raven haired boy couldn't help but blush softly, as he felt his friend wrap his arms around his back and front of his stomach. He also felt Tory's head right behind his upper back. The beau blue haired boy also blushed, especially at how close both he and Ash were as they rode on the Ponyta.

While Ruby had sprinted across the field, Leaf couldn't help but notice at how both Ash and Tory were blushing as they rode on the horse's back. She saw Tory had quickly wrapped his arms around the other boy's back and waist and placing his head next to Ash's upper back. She quickly shook it off, as she remember doing the exact same thing when she and the raven haired boy rode on Ruby the first time together before she and Gary went on a ride together.

Both Ash and Tory rode on Ruby for six laps in half an hour, while they cheered at how fast the Ponyta was galloping until Kenneth had called for Ruby to return back to the stables. After they reentered the barn, both friends had climbed off the Fire Horse Pokemon with Leaf's and Kenneth's help.

"So what did you think of your first ride on Ruby, Tory?" The aide asked as he had unstrapped the saddle off of Ruby and offered the horse a handful of hay, which she gladly accepted and chewed on happily.

"It was a terrific experience, especially since it was my first time!" The beau blue haired boy answered truthfully, showing he enjoyed riding on a Ponyta for the first time, especially since it was Ash whom asked if he wanted to ride with him.

"Ah, Tory there you and Ash are." Prof. Lund stated softly, as he and Prof. Oak had entered inside the stable from stepping outside the lab.

"Hello Prof. Oak." Leaf greeted softly, while offering a hand to shake which the gray haired professor gladly accepted.

"Hello Leaf, nice to see today as well." Prof. Oak answered while shaking hands with the brunette, as Ash and Tory stood by and spoke to Charles.

"So Dad, how did your interview go?" Tory asked, as he was wondering how his father's interview with Prof. Oak had gone while he and Ash were busy meeting Leaf and Gary and riding on Ruby.

"It went pretty well and I've got noting to worry about kiddo...I got the job." Charles answered truthfully, while gently and playfully ruffling his son's hair and revealing that he got the job position to work alongside Prof. Oak as an aide!

"Seriously? You got the job? That's great news Dad!" The beau blue haired boy cried out excitedly, as he hugged his father after hearing his dad say he got the job position and Charles returned the hug.

"That's fantastic news Mr. Lund. Congratulations." Ash stated as he offered a hand to shake and Prof. Lund gladly accepted and shook it.

"Thank you Ash and thank you for spending time with Tory while Samuel and I spoke." Charles answered, showing he appreciated the raven haired boy congratulating him for getting the research aide position and spending time with his son to keep them both preoccupied.

"Are you ready to head home?" The older beau blue haired man asked, wondering if Ash was ready to head home or wanted to spend more time at the lab and ranch.

"Yeah, I should probably head back to my house. My mom's going to need my help with chores around the house." The raven haired boy answered, showing he indeed needed to head home to help his mom around the house.

"It was great to see you Professor. See ya later Leaf." Ash stated as Prof. Lund softly gestured for him to follow as he and Tory were ready to walk him back to his house.

"It was nice to see you as well Ash. You're always welcome to drop by anytime." Prof. Oak answered while stating that he was always welcome to stop by anytime he liked.

"See you later Ash. Is it alright for me to come by your house later?" The brunette stated, while asking if she could hang him with him at his house later today.

"Of course, you know my mom would like to have you over." Ash answered, showing that Leaf could indeed stop by his house later today and how Delia would be overjoyed to have her come over.

Prof. Lund and Tory had walked Ash back to his house by following the same route they used to reach Prof. Oak's laboratory and ranch. Once they reached the raven haired boy's house, they had noticed that the moving vans had left; suggesting that the moving crew had finished moving all the furniture into their house. There was also note tacked to the front door addressed to Prof. Lund, which he removed from the door and read its contents.

 _'To Mr. Lund: My men and I had finished moving all your furniture into the house. Along with this letter will be a bill with the total sum of payment for services rendered. Hope you and your boy enjoy living in Kanto. From Mr. Harris the general contractor.'_ The note read, showing that Mr. Harris and his men had finished moving the furniture from the vans into the house and left a bill showing how much the older beau blue haired man owed them; a sum of $1,200 dollars, which he would pay later on.

After placing the bill in his right coat pocket, Charles and Tory had walked Ash to the front porch of his house.

"Thank you for escorting me and Tory to the lab and ranch today Ash." Prof. Lund stated, showing he appreciated the raven haired boy being their guide for the day and showing them the way to Prof. Oak's lab and ranch.

"You're very welcome Mr. Lund." Ash stated, showing he was glad to be a big help and spending quality time to bond with Tory.

"Thanks for giving me such a great time today Ash." The beau blue haired boy stated, showing he enjoyed every moment hanging out with the raven haired boy.

"Anytime Tory, I had a great time with you as well." Ash answered, showing he enjoyed spending time with his new friend as well, especially as they rode on Ruby around the ranch.

He had shook hands with both Charles and Tory before they decided to head back to their house across the street. While he and Tory were riding on Ruby, the beau blue haired boy had made a rather important decision...that he would go with Ash on his Pokemon Trainer quest on their tenth birthdays.

"So Tory, what do you think of Ash?" Charles asked, as he could tell right away that his son had a fun time with the raven haired boy today.

"I like him Dad. He's really kind, cool and smart. Plus, Leaf was also nice as well." Tory answered, showing he took an immediate liking to Ash as he enjoyed every second spending time with him and also getting to know Leaf today as well.

After Charles and Tory had walked him to his house, Delia was delighted to see her boy walking through the front door.

"So Ash, did you have fun spending time with Tory today?" The brunette woman asked, as she could tell by the grin on his face that he and Tory indeed have a good time.

"Yeah, I did Mom. He's a little shy when it comes to meeting new friends, but he's really nice kid." The raven haired boy answered, showing he enjoyed hanging out with his new friend.

 _'Not to mention super cute.'_ He mentally added, but shook off: not believing what he had thought of the beau blue haired boy! But yet...Ash couldn't help but lightly blush, since that's how he secretly felt about his new neighbor and friend.

Ash couldn't help but feel that fate would throw him an unexpected curve ball on his 10th birthday...something that would evidently bring him and Tory much closer than just new friends.

 **A/N: There it is everyone the 2nd chapter to Ash's Pokemon Journey with Tory. I'm so sorry for the long wait, I've been struggling on trying to decide which fanfic story to work on: this one, The Raccoon and the Tigress, Spyro or Walking Dead fanfics. The third chapter will be coming up soon. Until then, please be sure read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters**

 **A/N: Hello everyone, here is the 3rd chapter where one year has passed and Ash, Tory, Gary and Leaf receive their starter Pokemon and begin their Pokemon journey. While Ash, Leaf and Gary receive the Kanto starters...Tory will receive an incredibly unexpected Pokemon as his.**

 **Also should be worth mentioning, the Pokedex entries will be a cross between the anime and games and the Move Learning sets will start out from Gen 3 and grow all the way up to Gen 6.**

 **Reviews and comments will be appreciated**

 **Chapter 3: Kanto Starters and Beginning of a Journey**

 _~One year later~_

 _"The crowd is cheering wild due to this heated battle! The Green trainer has chosen Nidorino while the Red trainer goes with Gengar!" The Pokemon League commentator cried out from the press box, with the crowd roaring out in excitement to confirm his statement!_

 _There was currently a Pokemon battle being held at the Indigo Plateau Conference and being filmed on life TV. The first round between the two Pokemon Trainers had been a heated one: the Green trainer had called out a Raticate while the Red trainer sent out a Machop. The Mouse Pokemon had put up a decent fight, despite the huge Type disadvantage; as Fighting type moves were super effective against Normal types! The Green trainer's Raticate had landed a number of attacks, from Quick Attack and Super Fang, but was defeated by two super effective and direct Karate Chops!_

 _The Green Trainer had recalled his Raticate and sent out his Nidorino to battle next. The match hadn't lasted long as Machop had been weakened and exhausted from its battle against the Mouse Pokemon. The Poison Pin Pokemon had landed a Double Kick attack which Machop attempted to block it, blocking the first kick...but was too tired to block the second one! After the Super Power Pokemon had been pushed and skidded back across the battlefield, Nidorino had charged in and landed a direct Horn Attack! That final blow was what earned the Green trainer his first win, as Machop had been knocked off its feet and landed hard on its back with swirls in its eyes!_

 _"Nidorino, use Horn Attack!" The Green Trainer cried out, feeling overconfident from his current win!_

 _The Poison Pin Pokemon growled in agreement and lunged forward, charging in to strike the Shadow Pokemon with its powerful horn...which was a fatal mistake._

"Big mistake buddy." Ash muttered softly, as he sat on his bed while watching the Pokemon battle on TV in his bedroom and shaking his head at the Green trainer's mistake.

 _Nidorino had pounced forward while attempting to strike Gengar with its horn, only for the Ghost type Pokemon to evade each thrust with extreme ease! After dodging another Horn Attack, the Shadow Pokemon had jokingly leaped over its head and landed directly behind the Poison type._

 _"Gengar...Hypnosis." The Red trainer stated calmly, smiling at his opponent's overconfidence and poor judgement as his Nidorino turned around to face the Shadow Pokemon._

 _"Gen Gengar." The Ghost/Poison type snickered in agreement, as its eyes glowed red and sent hypnotic waves that landed directly at the pure Poison type!_

 _The Green trainer's Nidorino had struggled to stay awake, but failed as its eyes closed and slumped down onto its side, sound asleep!_

 _"Ohh, things are not going so well for the Green trainer! Two Pokemon down and only one left! If the Red trainer defeats his opponent's third and final Pokemon, he heads on to the finals!" The commentator cried out with the stands cheering and rooting for the Red trainer, as he was battling like a true pro!_

"Yeah, no kidding Sherlock. Everybody knows that Normal type moves don't work on Ghosts types!" Ash stated jokingly, since the Green trainer obviously forgot the most basic fact: how Ghost type Pokemon like Genger are immune from Fighting and Normal types moves!

 _The Green Trainer had recalled the knocked out Poison type and thanked it for it's win against his opponent's Machop. After switching for another basic Pokeball, he sent out his third and last Pokemon._

 _"Onix, it's time to rock n' roll!" The trainer cried out, after tossing the Pokeball and a giant snake made of boulders had materialized and appeared onto the battlefield!_

 _"GWARHHH!" The Rock Snake Pokemon roared out and the crowd cheered excitedly, hoping to see how this battle would turn out for the Green trainer!_

 _"Ho ho, now things are about to get interesting! The Green trainer has sent out Onix as his last Pokemon! Despite its huge size, will that be enough to take down Gengar and the Red trainer's last Pokemon?" The commentator cried out excited himself after seeing the huge stone snake like creature appear on the battlefield and glaring down the Shadow Pokemon!_

"Maybe the Green trainer can still turn the tables against his opponent." Ash muttered softly, as he was interested himself in seeing how the Green trainer would defeat his opponent's Gengar with his Onix.

"Ash, are you still up?" Delia asked as she softly knocked on his closed bedroom door before stepping inside, to see that her now 10 year old boy was indeed still up.

"Honey, you should be asleep by now. You know what tomorrow is!" The brunette haired woman said, while softly scolding her son for staying up so late...but couldn't blame him as the Pokemon match at the Indigo Plateau on TV no doubtingly got him excited to start his journey as a Pokemon trainer.

"Sorry Mom, I was about to go to sleep. I honestly was, but when I saw this Pokemon battle being held at the Indigo League I couldn't stop watching it." The raven haired boy answered while softly scratching the back of his head sheepishly, knowing that his mother was right about needing sleep for tomorrow.

"Could I watch the end of this battle before I go to sleep? Please Mom? I'd really like to see how it'll end." Ash asked his mother softly, wishing to see how the Pokemon battle would end since the Red trainer would obviously be the winner.

"Well...alright sweetie. But just remember to turn the TV off once the battle is over and to be awake by 7 am." Delia answered after giving her boy's request some serious thought, as she looked at the TV and saw that the battle was almost over.

"Thanks Mom, love you." The raven hair boy answered, smiling as his mom allowed him to watch the battle between the Green and Red trainer's end.

"You're welcome honey. I love you too." The brunette answered as she placed a loving kiss on her son's forehead before stepping out of his bedroom and closing the door behind her.

Ash had turned his attention back to the TV and smiled as the battle between the trainers was getting interesting: Onix's body had been surrounded by a light grayish glow and roared out, as multiple rocks had surrounded it and flew directly towards the Red trainer's Gengar! The raven haired boy smiled as he identified the move the Green trainer's Onix just used: Rock Throw! Gengar had playfully leaped back, to avoid the shooting rocks headed towards it...but cried out in pain as three had hit their mark!

 _The Shadow Pokemon had landed hard on the dirt battlefield, but swiftly jumped back up on its two feet with a more serious look on its face! Onix glared back, showing it was ready to take on the smaller Ghost/Poison type._

 _"Onix, use Rock Tomb!" The Green trainer called out, smirking as he had the upper hand against his opponent's Gengar and thinking he would be able to turn the tables in his favor!_

 _"GRAWHH!" The Rock Snake Pokemon roared out, as it raised its head and entire body became surrounded in a white aura. Multiple gray boulders had suddenly formed around and above Onix's head, also outlined in white energy._ _Once the energy had faded away, the boulders had plummeted towards Gengar, but missed as the Shadow Pokemon had merged into the floor of the battlefield and shattered after hitting the dirt stadium!_

 _"Gen Gen Gengar!" The Poison/Ghost type cackled, while sticking its tongue out at the Green Trainer and Onix, which angered them both at being mocked by such an irritating Ghost Pokemon!_

 _"Alright Gengar, good work! Return for now!" The Red Trainer stated, while smiling at the sight of his Ghost/Poison type mocking his opponent and having a secret weapon for the Rock/Ground type._

 _"Gen." The Shadow Pokemon cackled with a firm nod, showing it agreed with its Trainers judgment and returned to its Pokeball as a red beam shot out._

 _After returning his Gengar, the Red Trainer had took out a Net Ball; a Pokeball with a light blue top and black bands crossing over in a 'net' like pattern._

 _"Gyrados, show time!" The Red Trainer cried out, tossing the Net Ball onto the battlefield and a bright light beamed out, materializing and releasing a Chinese dragon like serpent with blue scales and yellow underbelly and giving off an intimidating screech like roar!_

 _"Ho ho, the Green Trainer is in trouble now! His opponent his called back his Gengar and sent out Gyrados, which is a dual Water/Flying type!" The commentator cried out excitedly, after seeing the Kanto native Water/Flying type now on the battlefield and the audience cried out in the same level of excitement as the commentator at seeing two Kanto native titans: a Water/Flying Chinese dragon facing off against a Rock/Ground serpent made of boulders!_

"Ohhh..,this battle is already over." Ash stated, smiling as the Red Trainer had sent out his ace in the hole, as Onix was in a huge disadvantage: due to two rather obvious facts. 1st fact: Ground and Rock types were extremely weak against Water type moves and the 2nd fact? Gyrados were part Flying type, which meant Ground type moves would have no effect on the serpent.

 _"Onix, use Rock...!" The Green Trainer started off, about to give his Onix a command...before his opponent cut him off and ending their match!_

 _"Gyrados...Ice Beam." The Red Trainer called out calmly while crossing his arms against his chest and the Water/Flying type serpent gave a roar, as if agreeing to that command._

 _Gyrados had opened its mouth and a light blue ball appeared in front of it. The Chinese dragon like serpent had than fired a light blue beam from the ball! His opponent's Onix only had a second of stare in shock as the beam of ice had hit it dead on and its entire body became frozen solid!_

 _The Green Trainer stared in complete surprise and shock as his Onix was frozen solid and collapsed to its right side in its icy prison, creating a huge dust cloud! Once the dust had cleared up, the ice that engulfed and surrounded the Green Trainer's Onix had fragmented after the Rock/Ground serpent collapsed on its right side and having swirls in its eyes, showing it was down for the count!_

 _"Onix is unable to battle! The winner is the Red Trainer!" The referee stated while raising up the red flag, indicating that the Red Trainer was the victor and the stands cried out and applauded wildly, as many of the spectators had favored the Red Trainer over his opponent!_

 _"And that's all she wrote! After a super effective and direct Ice Beam, the Green Trainer's Onix is down for the count and the Red Trainer heads on over to the finals!" The commentator cried out, also excited after seeing who the winner was and the Red Trainer had returned his Gyrados, but not before rubbing its face gently, which earned an affectionate growl from the Chinese dragon like serpent._

Ash had pointed the remote at the TV and turned it off after the battle was over. After the TV screen had went blank, the raven haired boy had slipped underneath the bed sheets of his mattress and closed his eyes as sleep had slowly over came him. Tomorrow was the big day and he needed to be prepared...as he would turn 10 tomorrow and he'd start his journey as a Pokemon Trainer.

 _'Tomorrow is the big day. But still...which Kanto starter am I going to choose?'_ The raven haired boy asked, as he was excited about starting his journey as a Pokemon Trainer and trying to decide which of the three starter Pokemon he wanted as his partner.

 _'Both Bulbasaur and Squirtle do have a huge type advantage against Rock/Ground types and Fire types. But Charmander is capable of learning Steel and Fighting type moves against Rock types and has a huge advantage against Grass, Bug, Steel and Ice types.'_ Ash stated while weighing the pros and cons of which Kanto starter he wished to choose, going over Bulbasaur's, Squirtle's and Charmander's strengths and weaknesses; which types they were strong and weak against.

The raven haired boy simply decided to wait for tomorrow, as debating it right now in his sleep would merely keep him up longer. He sighed while turning over to his side, sleeping peacefully.

 _~At the Lund residence~_

Tory was sitting behind the desk in his bedroom, with three books; two folded up and one laid out. The book he was currently reading was labeled _'Uses of Potions and Medicines'_. The two other books were about different subjects: one labeled _'Basic Advice for Beginning Trainers'_ and the other labeled _'The Differences between Technical Machines and Hidden Machines'_.

"Okay...so Antidotes are used to treat the effects of Poison type moves...Paralyze Heal treats the effects of Electric type moves and Burn Heal is used to treat the effects of Fire type moves." The beau blue haired boy stated as he read softly while going over the basic facts of what type of Medicine is used to treat the status effects of Poisoning, Paralysis and Burns.

As he was still reading, his father had knocked from outside his bedroom door before stepping inside with a fully prepared and packed backpack in his right hand.

"Tory? I thought you were asleep by now. Tomorrow is the big day, kiddo." Charles stated as he was surprised to see his soon to be 10 year old boy still awake, but quickly understood why he hadn't slept it and was proud of his son for wanting to be prepared before heading out with Ash tomorrow.

Prof. Lund could remember how he and Tory had discussed about his big decision about wanting to accompany with the raven haired boy five months after they befriended the Ketchums and how Delia had invited them both over to their house for dinner. The entire night had been marvelous, as Charles and Delia had found common ground in raising a single child on their own and their admiration for Prof. Oak as teenagers many years ago. Ash and Tory had also spent plenty of time getting to know each other and hanging out with Leaf: watching TV, movies, playing video games and bike riding around the neighborhood block.

While watching TV with Ash and Leaf a few weeks ago, the beau haired boy saw his first Pokemon League battle being held at the Indigo Plateau. The match was one a battlefield littered with hand crafted rocks and boulders with two Pokemon trainers standing in the Green/Red sides of the battlefield. The Red Trainer had started with a Pidgeotto as his first choice while the Green Trainer had went with a Beedrill. The first battle had been intense as the Bird Pokemon had performed a Quick Attack, which the Poison Bee Pokemon evaded and countered by launching a Pin Missile attack, that the Red Trainer's Pidgeotto dodged by using fancy flying maneuvers!

After witnessing the battle, Tory had became interested in becoming a Pokemon Trainer himself, which surprised and amused his father, as Charles was glad that his boy had shown an interest in capturing and raising Pokemon residing in the wild as his own.

"I'm about to turn in for bed right now Dad. I just thought that I'd go over a few basic tips before getting ready for bed." The beau blue haired boy answered, knowing his dad was right by how late it was and how tomorrow was the day he, Ash, Leaf and Gary would be getting their starter's from Prof. Oak.

"I'm proud of you for wanting to be prepared son. Have you decided on which starter you're going to choose as your partner?" Charles stated, showing he was glad that his boy was preparing himself for the big day tomorrow and curious to which Kanto starter he would choose as his first Pokemon.

"To be honest, I haven't really decided yet Dad." Tory answered honestly, stating that he hadn't made up his mind on which Kanto starter he wanted as his partner.

"Well, there's no need to decide right now. I'm sure whichever starter you pick, the two of you will get along just line." His father stated, reminding his son that he shouldn't stress himself out over which starter he wanted and could make his decision tomorrow at Prof. Oak's lab.

"Yeah, you're right Dad. Good night." The beau blue haired boy answered softly, knowing that his dad was right as he stepped away from the desk to turn in for bed and hugged his father good night.

"Good night Tory. Sleep well son." Charles stated as he hugged his son good night and placed a kiss on Tory's forehead before Tory climbed into his bed to sleep and he stepped out of his boy's bedroom.

After hearing his father closing his bedroom door, Tory had slept peacefully as tomorrow was the big day that he, Ash, Leaf and Gary were leaving Pallet Town to begin their journey as Pokemon Trainers. He also couldn't help but blush softly just at the thought of his raven haired haired neighbor and friend. Even though he became good friends with with Leaf and the other neighbor's kids...Tory had spent most of his time with Ash and he was more than happy to spend time with him.

 _'What is it about Ash that makes me feel this way? Every time I'm with him I feel...so safe and relaxed.'_ Tory asked as he smiled in his sleep as his mind was on Ash, his friendly personality and smile that practically helped bring him out of his timid shell the past year he and his father moved to Kanto from Hoenn.

 _'Maybe...Maybe I could ask Ash if I could travel with him.'_ The beau blue haired boy mentally stated, as he was entertaining the idea of asking the raven haired boy to accompany him after they received their starters from Prof. Oak.

 _~The next day~_

Morning had slowly arrived, as the moon went down and the sun began to rise. A Dodrio that resided at Prof. Oak's lab and ranch had acted as the town's alarm clock after leaping onto the roof of the lab. Once the sun was up, the Triple Bird Pokemon had gave a loud caw from its three head at the exact time. Back at the Ketchum residence, Ash was still asleep but slowly started to wake up as he heard his mother knocking on the door.

"Ash, wake up honey!" Delia softly knocked on her son's locked bedroom door and that was enough to jolt him wide awake.

"Oh, shoot. It's almost time!" The raven haired boy gasped as he knew that it was nearly time for Trainer to pick up their starter Pokemon!

"Just a minute Mom!" He called back as he jumped out of bed and immediately dressed himself, taking off his shorts and putting on the clothes his mother bought him for this important day: a medium blue jacket with a white collar and sleeves, a dark cyan shirt, light blue jeans with cuffs, black and white sneakers with a red circle on the left/right side and slipping on a brown belt around his waist. He then slipped on green finger-less gloves and finally his Pokemon League hat.

Once he was fully dressed, Ash had unlocked the twist-lock to his bedroom door and opened it to see his mother with his backpack filled with the necessary clothing and items he needed while traveling and catching Pokemon out in the wild.

"Morning Mom." The raven haired boy stated, smiling at his mother which she mirrored before handing him his backpack.

"Morning Ash. Did you sleep well last night?" Delia answered back, while handing her son the backpack and asked if he slept well last night.

"I slept just like a baby. I'd better get going before Prof. Oak gives away all his starter Pokemon." He answered, stating that he slept just fine last night while slipping the straps of the backpack around his shoulders and placed a soft kiss on his mother's cheek, thanking her for packing the clothes and supplies he needed for his journey.

Delia smiled as she watched her boy run out of the house and heading for the path leading up to Prof. Oak's laboratory and ranch. Shortly as he ran out of his house, Ash heard a boy's voice calling out to him.

"Hey Ash, wait up!" Tory called out and the raven haired boy smiled, as he glanced behind him to see the beau blued boy walking up to him. The clothing he was wearing were a baby blue hoodie with a white fur neck and tassels, plain white jeans that reached above his ankles sneakers that were multicolored; light blue, violet and white.

"Hey Tory, are you headed for Prof. Oak's lab?" The raven haired boy asked, as he could tell right away that the beau blue haired boy was heading to choose his starter, the same as him.

"Yeah, I am. But I was hoping to ask you something first." Tory stated, answering he was indeed heading for Prof. Oak's lab/ranch and that he needed to ask his friend an important question.

"What is it?" Ash asked, even though he had a good idea to what it was his friend and neighbor wanted to ask him.

"After we pick up our starters from Prof. Oak...I was hoping you wouldn't mind if...I traveled with you." He answered, a little hesitant about asking Ash if he could tag along and travel with him.

"Tory...I'd be glad to have you travel with me." The raven haired boy answered with a warm and soft smile, showing he was more happy to have the beau blue haired boy as his traveling companion.

"Ash, thanks! You have no idea how glad I am to be traveling with you!" Tory exclaimed, happy and excited that Ash had welcomed him to travel with him after they obtained their starters from Prof. Oak!

"We'd better hurry if we want to get our starters Tory." Ash stated, as he knew that it would be a matter of time before Leaf, Gary and rest of the neighborhood kids would eventually wake up and beat them to the lab.

"Right, let's go." His friend stated, as they ran up the hill to Prof. Oak's lab and fortunately for them, they were the first ones to arrive as no other boy or girl were outside the lab.

"I can't believe it...we're the first ones here." The raven haired boy stated, chuckling that he and Tory were the first ones to make it to the lab/ranch before anyone else!

"Ash, do you think we might be a little early?" The beau blue haired boy asked, as he fairly guessed the reason why they made it to the lab first was because they woke up more early than everyone else.

"Well...we're only early by twenty minutes and Prof. Oak won't open the doors till 9:00 AM. But it's better sooner than later, right ?" He asked, stating that they were early by twenty minutes and had to wait for Prof. Oak to open the lab doors at 9.

"Yeah, I suppose it better being early than late. So which starter are you going to choose?" Tory stated, as he knew that his friend was right about being early than late and was curious by which Kanto starter he wanted as his partner.

"Oh, that's a secret." Ash stated with a sly smirk and the beau blue haired boy couldn't help but chuckle at his answer, as he somehow knew the raven haired boy wasn't going to reveal his choice right away.

For the past twenty minutes, both boys had talked about what they did the night before: Ash telling Tory about the Pokemon League battle he saw on TV, how the Red Trainer practically mopped the floor with the Green Trainer, due to the latter making common mistakes: how the Green Trainer's Raticate and Onix lost to the Red Trainer's Machop and Gyrados and how the Green Trainer's Nidorino was put to sleep by the Red Trainer's Gengar using Hypnosis.

"So wait, the Green Trainer completely forgot that Normal type moves didn't work on Ghost Types?" The beau blue haired boy asked, as he couldn't believe the Green Trainer had his Nidorino use a Normal type move against his opponent's Gengar!

"Yep, the Green Trainer was battling like a clueless rookie. He sent his Raticate against a Machop, which is a Fighting type and his Onix against a Gyrados, which is a Water/Flying type." Ash stated, informing his friend of the wrong decisions the Green Trainer made against his opponent and they couldn't help but chuckle softly at his expense.

"You guys talking about the Pokemon League battle on TV last night?" Leaf asked as she walked up them and they smiled softly at their brunette friend.

"Morning Ash. Hey Tory." She added, with a soft smile at her two friends as she joined them outside Prof. Oak's lab.

"Morning Leaf." Both both boys said at the same time with a soft smile...which quickly faded as they heard another voice followed by the brunette's.

"Well, well...look who decided to cheat by coming to Gramp's lab early." Gary stated smugly after arriving shortly after Leaf and the three of them sighed in annoyance by the smug arrogance in his tone.

"Excuse me?" Ash countered, feeling highly offended by Gary's accusing of him of 'cheating' by waking up early before anyone else!

"Ash and I didn't cheat! We..." Tory shouted back, angered by the spiky haired brunette's accusing him and Ash of cheating, but was cut off of by his friend.

"Tory, it's alright." The raven haired boy stated softly, assuring his friend that he could handle Gary's obnoxious 'superiority' nonsense and the blue haired boy nodded softly.

"Tory and I didn't 'cheat' Gary. We both simply woke up early than you, Leaf and everyone else did." He stated plain and simple, hoping that would get his former best friend to back off...but unfortunately it didn't.

"Uh huh, likely story." The brunette boy stated smugly, showing that he didn't buy his answer while Leaf and Tory glared at Gary acting like a prick.

"You know what? Screw you Gary." Ash snapped, showing he had enough of his attitude and that merely made the situation worse.

"What did you just say?" Gary demanded as he grabbed a hold of the raven haired boy's shirt and shoved him!

"You heard what I said! " The raven haired boy stated as he shoved the brunette back and that was when Prof. Oak had put an end to their shoving match!

"That's enough!" The elderly Pokemon researcher shouted out, as he was about to greet the four beginning trainers and introduce them to the Kanto starters...and witnessed Ash and Gary about to get into a physical fight!

"P-Professor Oak/Gramps!" Both Ash and Gary stuttered as they didn't hear the doors to the lab open along with Leaf and Tory as they pulled the two boys away from each other!

"Professor, I can explain..." The raven haired boy started to explain, but was cut off as the elderly man raised a hand, as if signaling for him to stop.

"There's no need Ash, I know who started it...and I am very disappointed in you Gary." Professor Oak stated softly, assuring the raven haired boy that he wasn't upset at him, but merely at his grandson for his behavior.

"C'mon Gramps, it's not a big..." The spiky haired brunette scoffed, not thinking he did anything wrong before his grandpa cut him off.

"Big deal? Accusing Ash and Tory of cheating when they simply woke up early than everyone else and shoving him for standing up to you!" His grandpa demanded, while pointing out to Gary that he had the nerve to accusing both Ash and Tory of 'cheating' just because they arrived to his lab/ranch by waking up early and he had shoved the raven haired boy first!

"...Yeah, but..." Gary stated weakly, as he couldn't think of anything else to say to defend his actions.

"Because of your behavior Gary, Ash and Leaf will have the honor of choosing their starters first." Professor Oak stated, showing he would allow Ash and Leaf choose their starter Pokemon first.

"What? But that's not fair!" The brunette haired boy shouted, not believing his grandfather would let the raven haired boy and brunette haired girl pick first and him last!

"Gary, either you change your attitude or you won't get a starter at all!" The elderly professor snapped, showing he was not pleased with his grandson's attitude and gave him an ultimatum: either change his attitude or he wouldn't get a starter Pokemon as his partner!

"...Fine..." He stated, crossing his arms while rolling his eyes and glancing away.

"Well...welcome to my lab. If the four of you would kindly step inside, I'll introduce you to the starters." Prof. Oak stated with a warm voice and smile on his face, with Ash, Tory and Leaf following right behind him...while giving Gary a dirty look, which he simply ignored and followed way back as the doors to the lab closed behind them.

After stepping into the lab, Professor Oak had led the four beginning trainers to a table with the three Kanto starters: Charmander, a bipedal reptile, Bulbasaur, a small four legged creature with a bulb on its back and Squirtle, a light blue bipedal turtle.

"Before you kids choose your starters, I'd like to congratulate the four of you...since this is a truly important day and moment, as you four will be venturing out in the world on your own, raising and bonding with the Pokemon you catch in the wild along with your starter Pokemon. Ash, you may choose first." The elderly professor stated, sharing a few words of wisdom and inspiration with Ash, Leaf, Tory and Gary, congratulating them for beginning their journey as Pokemon Trainers today before stepping aside for the raven haired boy to choose his starter.

"I'll go with...Charmander. The two of us will make a great team." Ash answered immediately, after walking up to the three Kanto starters and picked the Fire type Pokemon.

"Char Char!" The orange skinned reptile cried out happily, showing he was glad the raven haired boy choose him and nodded in agreement, on how they would make a great team as Ash had picked up and placed him inside his Pokeball as Leaf walked up next.

"I pick...Bulbasaur. I think the two of us will get along just fine." The brunette girl answered with a soft smile as she picked the Grass type starter as her partner.

"Bulba Bulbasaur!" The quadruple plant like creature growled softly, as he took an instant liking to the girl and agreed that they would indeed get along during their traveling as she placed him in his Pokeball as it was Gary's turn.

"Looks like it's you and me Squirtle. We'll make an awesome team." The spiky haired boy stated, smiling brightly at the Water type starter as his beginner.

"Squirtle!" The bipedal turtle cried out, as he mirrored the smile as his and Gary's personalities were the same: strong with a desire to be the best as he placed him inside his Pokeball.

"Professor Oak...what about Tory?" Ash asked after the spiky haired brunette placed his starter in its Pokeball and realizing there no other Pokemon for his friend to pick for his starter.

"No need to worry Ash...I do have an extraordinary Pokemon that I think would be a perfect match for Tory." The elderly professor stated, showing he hadn't forgotten about Charles' boy and how he had the perfect Pokemon for him.

"What is it?" Tory asked, as he was curious by what sort of Pokemon Professor Oak would give him as his starter.

"Tory...inside this Pokeball is a Fire type but is not a Kanto starter." He answered, offering the blue haired boy a Pokeball with a sticker design of a flame, representing fire.

"Professor, I'll take it." The beau blue haired boy answered, showing he understood that the Pokemon inside the ball was not a starter and accepted the red/white device and released the Pokemon to see what it was.

After the Pokeball opened and a white flash of energy shot out, the energy slowly faded and revealed the Pokemon it held inside: a small fox like creature with red-brown fur covering its entire body and cream underbelly. The most two notable features this fox like Pokemon had were three curled locks of orange fur with bangs on top of its head and six orange tails curled by its tips.

"Vulpix! Vul!" The fox like Pokemon cried out, happy to be out its Pokeball as it stretched its front and rear legs.

"Wow...it's cute and beautiful." Tory stated softly, as he was speechless by the sight of the Fox Pokemon, along with Ash and Leaf while Gary simply rolled his eyes.

"It's name is Vulpix." Professor Oak stated softly, revealing the name of the Fox Pokemon as Vulpix had walked up to the beau blue haired boy and brushed her head up against his left leg, showing she liked him.

"Looks like Vulpix has taken a quick liking to you too Tory." Leaf stated with a soft smile and the fox like Pokemon confirmed by continuing to nuzzle his left leg and licked the palm of his left palm as Tory petted Vulpix's head before returning her inside her Pokeball.

"Now that you kids have your starters...here are your Pokedexes and six Pokeballs." The kind Pokemon researcher stated, offering Ash, Tory, Leaf and Gary their own Pokedex and six standard Pokeballs which they gladly accepted.

"You kids can also use your Pokedex to go over the entries, gender and attack moves of your starters, along with new Pokemon you catch." He added, revealing that they could use their Pokedexes to look up the information of their Pokemon, along with their gender and moves they already knew.

"Come on out Charmander!" Ash cried out, as he released his starter and partner, followed by Gary, Leaf and Tory as they took out their Pokedex to scan them.

"C'mon on out Squirtle!"

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

"Come on out Vulpix!"

 _Charmander, The Lizard Pokemon. The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokemon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely._

 _Gender: Male_

 _Ability: Blaze_

 _Known Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Metal Claw, Smoke Screen, Rage, Fire Spin, Flamethrower and Slash_

 _Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokemon. Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. There is a seed on its back. By soaking up sun's rays, the seed grows progressively large._

 _Gender: Male_

 _Ability: Overgrow_

 _Known Moves: Tackle, Growl, Leech Seed, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Poison Powder and Sleep Powder._

 _Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokemon to swim at high speeds._

 _Gender: Male_

 _Ability: Torrent_

 _Known Moves: Tackle, Bite, Bubble, Water Gun, Withdraw, Bubble Beam, Rapid Spin and Skull Bash._

 _Vulpix, the Fox Pokemon. At the time of its birth, Vulpix has one white tail. The tail separates into six if this Pokemon receives plenty of love from its Trainer. The six tails become magnificently curled._

 _Gender: Female_

 _Ability: Flash Fire_

 _Known Moves: Ember, Roar, Quick Attack, Will-O-Wisp, Confuse Ray, Flamethrower, Fire Spin Safeguard and Hypnosis._

Ash and the others were deeply impressed by what moves their starter Pokemon already knew and could use, especially Tory as his Vulpix could use a Psychic type move that could out its opponents to sleep.

"There is also one last thing I almost forgot to mention to you, Tory, Leaf and Gary, Ash." Prof. Oak stated as he instantly remembered one last piece of information he almost neglected to mention to the four beginning trainers.

"What is is Prof. Oak?" Ash asked as he and the others are curious to what it was the wise and kind Pokemon researcher needed to share with them.

"All Pokemon trainers can only carry six Pokeballs and Pokemon as their traveling party. If you kids capture an extra Pokemon, your Pokedex will give you the option of either sending the captured Pokemon straight to my lab or one of your current Pokemon in your party in its place." Prof. Oak answered, informing the four beginning trainers they could only carry six Pokemon with them and how the Pokedex would either systematically send any extra Pokemon they captured straight to his lab or if they wanted to keep that Pokemon on their team, they would have to select and send a Pokemon they were carrying in its place.

"You can also give your starters and whatever Pokemon you capture a nickname." He added, giving Ash, Tory, Leaf and Gary the option of giving their starters and the Pokemon they could capture and raise nicknames.

"Hey Charmander...would you like it if I gave you a nickname?" The raven haired boy asked while kneeling down so he and his partner were face to face.

"Char Charmander!" The Lizard Pokemon cried out with a nod, showing he wouldn't mind whatever name his Trainer gave him.

"How about...Scorch?" Ash offered, as he felt that 'Scorch' was a perfect nickname for a Fire type Pokemon.

"Char Charmander Char!" Charmander cried out, as he liked the sound of that name and his trainer smiled in return.

"Alright...Scorch it is." He stated, chuckling softly as he gently rubbed Scorch on his head, which earned an affectionate growl from the Charmander.

"Hey Bulbasaur, would you like a cool nickname? Or do you want keep your own name?" Leaf asked softly, wondering if her partner wanted to keep his species name or whatever nickname she came up with.

"Bulba." The Seed Pokemon growled softly with a nod, showing he didn't mind whatever name his trainer had in mind.

"Well...how about, Alpha? Since I can tell you're a powerful battler and natural leader when we have more Pokemon on our team." The brunette girl asked, as she could tell by the strong look on her Bulbsaur's face that he was a born leader to lead the Pokemon she caught on their team.

"Bulba, Bulbasaur!" The newly named Alpha cried happily, as he liked that name very much since it matched his personality perfectly: a strong battler and natural born leader.

"Alpha it is!" Leaf stated happily and laughed as Alpha stood up on his hind legs and softly licked her face as a sign of affection.

"Hey Squirtle, do you want a nickname?" Gary asked, wondering if his partner wanted a nickname like Scorch or Alpha.

"Squirtle Squirt Squirtle." The Tiny Turtle Pokemon shook his head 'no', showing he was happy with just his own name.

"Alright, then. I'll just call you by your own name, partner." The spiky haired boy stated, as he and the turtle bumped 'fists' together.

"Hey Vulpix...would you like a nickname too?" Tory asked, wondering if his partner wanted a nickname of her own as he knelt down to one knee.

"Vulpix! Vul!" The Fox Pokemon cried out softly with a nod, showing she would indeed like whatever nickname her trainer gave her.

"How about...Mirage?" The beau blue haired boy asked, as he felt that 'Mirage' would be the perfect name for his Vulpix.

"Why Mirage?" Leaf asked, as she was curious by the nickname Tory had just given the Fox Pokemon.

"Because I read that Vulpix's evolved form, Ninetales have psychic abilities to create illusions of itself or humans." He answered revealing he had studied up on the Vulpix evolutionary line and how Ninetales had psychic abilities to create illusions of its choosing.

"Yeah, I read up about that as well. I think Mirage is the perfect name for your Vulpix, Tory." Ash stated, showing he agreed with his friend about the nickname he gave his starter as he also read up on the same subject: how Ninetales had psychic abilities to create hallucinating illusions of itself, any other living being or inanimate objects.

"Vulpix! Vul!" The newly named Mirage cried out, showing she liked that name as well as 'Mirage' had a nice ring to it.

"Alright, Mirage it is!" Tory stated as she stood up on her hind legs and affectionately licked his face with her tongue and laughed as the licking tickled.

After recalling their starters back into the Pokeballs, Ash, Tory, Leaf and Gary had thanked Professor Oak for everything he did for them and walked back into town. Once they walked back into town to say goodbye to their parents/siblings, the four of them had headed straight to Route 1 to begin their own Pokemon journeys.

 **A/N: There it is everyone, the ending to the 3rd chapter to Ash's Pokemon Journey with Tory. I'm sorry for the insanely long wait, I was suffering from a small case of writer's block, as I was more focused on my Sly Cooper fanfic: The Raccoon and the Tigress. The 4th chapter will be posted sometime during this or next weekend. Until next time, please be sure to read and review. Bye.**


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